The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-01
Communication.

The Owosso Press of this week contains
the following:
"The tax collected from the liquor
dealers goes into the contingent fund of
the town where il is collected 10 pay con-
tingent expenses, and it relieves the pco-
pie of the locality of just that amount of
tax on their property and makes it just so
much Easier for them to pay the tax levied
every year TO pay expenses Of the prisons,
asylums. poor houses. ETC."
This is q surprising statement TO come
from paper published IN the State of
Michigan. A similar statement was made
by the Journal of Detrait and it was com
PEELED 10 retract it because 1t was untrue.
1t is certainly strange that people should
be so ignorant of the laws governing this
question. The fact is that the revenue
received from liquor taxation goes into
the treasures of the cities and incorporat.
ed villages of the State. 1t is not applied
to the payment of expenses incurred by
the liquor traffic BY this law the farm
ers are compelled, in common with all
citizens of the county, to submit to tax
alton to meet these expenses. while the
revenue received from high license is ap-
piled to building ap city Improvements
and reducing the taxation on city proper.
ty. This is the plain, unvarnished truth
about il. Let the farmers decide for them
selves whether they wish TO continue to
assist people in the cities in this way. If
they do, those who live III the cities can
stand it surely.
These are important times to the people
of Michigan. Never in her history has
an event occurred fraught with more in
terest to her people than that which will
occur on the 9TH of April noxt. Not half
so important were the questions of 1851.
Slavery, bad as it was. did not approach
the whisky traffic in its evil consequences.
Is 1t not a singular fact that large major
ity Of those who are favoripg high license
and opposing prohibition are men who
never have done anything for the temper
"hSS S"uSO" 10 ~ ouai45C ebas tbcsc hcu
are cheered to the echo the very men
whose business they claim to be trying TO
restrain by taxation?
We are told by these men that prohibi-
ton does not prohibit in Maine, Kansas
and Iowa. Let no one be deceived by
these false assertions. They are started
by men in the interest of the whisky trade.
In opposition 70 the assertions of these
men let us place the statements Of three
well known men--one former Governor,
the other Senator and the other by far
the ablest statesman in the State and by
many regarded the equal of any in the
country:
In 1880, thirteen distilleries in the state
manufactured 1,000. 600 gallons of rum;
100000 gallons were imported. New
there is not distillery or brewery in the
state. In 1888 there were 500 taverns, all
but 40 of these having open bars; now
there is not q tayerrsin the state with an
open bar. In 1880 every grocery store
SOLD liquor as freely as molasses; now not
one. In 1882, with q population of only
450, 900, there were 1000 places where in
toxicating liquors were sold. Their sales
amounted TO $10,000,000 annually, or $50
for each inhabitant. Last year the aggre
gate sales of 100 town agencies was $10O,
600, or Is cents per inhabitant;. E. 4. .on the
average in the remainder of tho Union S14
per inhabitant -ExG Dingley.
Intemperance has steadily decreased ia
the state since the first enactment of the
first prohibiiory law, until now it can be
said with truth that there is no equal num-
Der of people in the Anglo.Saxon world
among whom so small amount of intoxicat-
ing liquor is consumed as among the six
hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants of
Maine. u. s. Senator Frye.
can, and do, from my own personal
observation, nnhesitatingly affirm that the
consumption of intoxicating liquors is not
today one-fourth so great as II was twenty
years ago; that the law has itself created 4
temperance sentiment to which opposition
Is powerless.-James G.. Blaine.
Now the time has come, men of Shia-
wassee county, when you may say wheth-
er or not you will arise in your might and
throttle an enemy whose incendiary fires
have already begun to burn. and who is
sowing the seeds of anarchy broadcast
over this fair land. Do you propose to
acquiesce in the crimes committed by
whisky? II not, vote for the amendment.
Do you wish to see the red flag Of anarchy
placed upon every hill top? If 80, vote
against the amendment. II you do not,
vote for it. The responsibility rests upon
you. BE careful not TO vote to encourage
the whisky business; IL yeu do you may
be digging drunkard's grave for your
own child, and heaping sorrow and trouble
upon the heads Of your own children.
Beware. lest by doing 20 the ruined form
Of your own or your neighbor's child may
rise up in judgment against you.
PROHIBITION.
Owosso. March Gath. 1887.
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